AMD security drama

[Prophet]

So, been following this for a week or two now. I did not post about it early on because things seemed odd. And it only got odder as things rolled on. This vid pretty much sums it all up with links in the description. Make sure you watch all of it. It's been a pretty crazy ordeal.

   

phpBB [media]

       

-=SOURCE=-

[Docjon]

So, been following this for a week or two now. I did not post about it early on because things seemed odd. And it only got odder as things rolled on. This vid pretty much sums it all up with links in the description. Make sure you watch all of it. It's been a pretty crazy ordeal.

   

phpBB [media]

       

-=SOURCE=-

I'm gonna get fuckin' H@XOR3D, ain't I? My shiny new machine is gonna get fuckin' H@XOR3D.

/DNWTFV - Yet
//At least there is symmetry.
///slashies

[Paladin]

So, been following this for a week or two now. I did not post about it early on because things seemed odd. And it only got odder as things rolled on. This vid pretty much sums it all up with links in the description. Make sure you watch all of it. It's been a pretty crazy ordeal.


I'm gonna get fuckin' H@XOR3D, ain't I? My shiny new machine is gonna get fuckin' H@XOR3D.

/DNWTFV - Yet
//At least there is symmetry.
///slashies

Going to bed right now so can't watch it, on my phone. Give me a fast summary.

So I should reconsider Intel again? i i

[Docjon]

So, been following this for a week or two now. I did not post about it early on because things seemed odd. And it only got odder as things rolled on. This vid pretty much sums it all up with links in the description. Make sure you watch all of it. It's been a pretty crazy ordeal.

   

phpBB [media]

       

-=SOURCE=-

I'm gonna get fuckin' H@XOR3D, ain't I? My shiny new machine is gonna get fuckin' H@XOR3D.

/DNWTFV - Yet
//At least there is symmetry.
///slashies

Going to bed right now so can't watch it, on my phone. Give me a fast summary.

So I should reconsider Intel again? i i

At this rate, I'm thinking we should consider stone knives and bear skins.

[Docjon]

Watching now. . .
CHRIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

10 seconds in and this guy's voice is like nails on a chalkboard. No way do I make it through 33 MINUTES OF IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll try, though. Does this fucker ever say a SINGLE word without trilling his tongue? Even ONE word?

[Paladin]

Watching now. . .
CHRIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

10 seconds in and this guy's voice is like nails on a chalkboard. No way do I make it through 33 MINUTES OF IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll try, though. Does this fucker ever say a SINGLE word without trilling his tongue? Even ONE word?

Okay so when I get up in the morning I like to catch up on posts here. Read on the old throne you know.

But I use Tapatalk so don't see videos etc.

So I ask friends to sum up what is going on sometimes like my previous post.
Got nothing to read this morning.

So this is now filed under Fuck it I don't care. i i

BTW can we stop quoting videos like that??? You see the same video over and over showing because people quote and leave the video link in.
Not necessary.

Please remove the link unless there is a reason to leave it there. Such as if you are several pages in and need to quote something posted earlier and it got lost due to other posts since. That is okay of course.

[Docjon]

Watch your own friggin' grating-voice videos. It's not my fault you're not rich like me and can't afford a proper tablet to watch vids on the shitter. Old haggis-breath droned on for 33 minutes. Would you watch 33 minutes of someone you couldn't stand to listen to FOR ME? You wouldn't do it for FIVE minutes.

I skipped to the last five minutes and still didn't figure out a damn thing. Of course, I sleep less than 30 hours a week, so that probably didn't help with my comprehension.

And if you can't see the video, why are you complaining about quoting it? Christ, you're cranky before your coffee.

Sorry Prophet. I really was interested to hear what was up, but I think I'm too far gone for rational thought right now. Plus, only 33 minutes of bagpipe-tuning would have been worse to listen to.

[Prophet]

Basically, a company from Isreal came out with a list of vulnerabilities hyping them like the recent Intel ones. Here are the issues. This is the companies first ever publishing to the public. They are a small startup. And rather than give the normal 90 day heads up to AMD, they only gave 24 hours. Fast forward to the point other researchers had a chance to look at the bugs. ALL OF THEM require root user local access to exploit. Basically making them meaningless. Sice if the user/hacker has root access you have hosed anyway and they can do far more damage without these "exploits."

Then we come to the next sticky point. One of the vulnerabilities called Chimera is claimed to be a chipset flaw. It's a programmed backdoor on Asmedia chips. In fact, these chips are on both AMD and Intel boards going back almost a decade now. The EXACT same chips. Three generations of Asmedia controllers. But the whitepaper points the finger at AMD, despite not being an AMD (or Intel for that matter) flaw.

The next odd point, a couple hours after going public a company that makes it money off the stock market posts an AMD obituary saying this will kill the company. Also, the press had detailed write-ups way earlier than normal. Seemed like they got informed about the same time as AMD if not sooner.

Then came the interviews Anandtech did with the research startup. Basically, the company made some comments that make things look a little murky. Including comments that the exploits would require a large investment to actually make work in the wild. Something most hackers currently would not be able to afford. That leads Anandtech to follow up with questions about who funded their expensive research into these exploits. They say that a third party came to them but would not disclose who. Then hung up on Anandtech when they pressed the issue asking for at least info on the field the company was is if not the same of the company.

It seems people have come to two possible theories. One, Intel paid them to torpedo AMD to take some heat off their recent issues. This being because the white paper is full of opinion comments, images, and other language meant to discredit AMD. Normally a white paper is pure facts. No opinions or commentary. Just how the flaw/exploit works, the code, and how to fix it. Or at least ideas on how to fix it. They even made a website called AMDFLAWS.com. Second thought is the financial company with the obituary may be behind this in a hope to short AMD stocks for a quick profit. Basically banking on the fact that none of these issues are really a problem, outside the Asmedia one. Basically, they would sell the stocks before the dive and rebuy at the lower price and ride the climb back up. Both theories hold water. Intel has used tactics like this and the financial company is already in hot water for various fraud and other cases.

If nothing else you can follow thinks in the description to sever Reddit threads of people picking this all apart, the companies involved, and the interviews.

This thing had a bit of a stink from the start. It just got more rotten as time passed.

[Paladin]

Thanks prophet. Now THAT is a nice summary.

If you get a second please put that up as news for the front page.